Summary

In this chapter you learned that:

• XPath can be used to pull specific data items and substructures from XML data.

• XPath can use both simple and complex expressions.

• XPath inter-nodal relationships can be accessed using XPath axes.

• Numerous forms of predicates can help to filter XPath expression results.

• XPath expressions can use wildcards to retrieve data regardless of values and names .

• Multiple datasets can be merged by using multiple XPath expressions.

• Built-in functions are used in advanced XPath expressions and XQuery.

• Built-in functions are numerous and extremely complex.

• Built-in functions can be classified in many different categories.